The system for determining a status of a valve being mounted in a liquid supply line of a concrete mixer and being actuatable via an actuator generally has: an actuator accelerometer mounted to the actuator and being adapted to measure an actuator position associated with a position of the valve; a reference accelerometer mounted to the concrete mixer and being adapted to measure a reference position fixed relative to the concrete mixer, the actuator position and the reference position being measured while the concrete mixer is fixed relative to the ground; a computing device adapted to receive the actuator and reference positions, the computing device being adapted to determine the status of the valve based on the actuator position, the reference position and calibration position data; and to generate status of the valve indicative of the determined status of the valve.

A method of operating a concrete batching plant includes loading aggregates into an aggregate storage bin divided into compartments from the ground level by wheel loader, discharging the material from storage bin through batching gates fitted into a weighing hopper, hydraulically lifting the aggregates after being weighed in the weighing hopper, conveying cement through a screw conveyor into a cement weigher and discharging the same into a mixer, mixing and compacting the aggregates for a pre-determined time, discharging the mixed and compacted concrete into a concrete carrying hopper, transporting the concrete carrying hopper to a desired height, and loading the concrete into mobile transit mixer or concrete pump, based on the site requirement.

The fiber boxes (60) each contain fiber (62) and are removably mounted to a fiber injector (9) for injecting the fiber (62) into a material flow stream. The fiber boxes (60) each have an enclosure (61) for containing the fiber (62), preferably a single fiber (62). An aperture 70 provides a feed hole (70) for passing the fiber (62) from an interior of the enclosure (61) to an exterior of the enclosure (61). Contacts (64) having ends disposed on an exterior of the enclosure (61), spaced apart for registering with mating contacts (54) on a fiber distribution ring (40). A frangible element (68) extends between the contacts (64) and provides electrical continuity between the two contacts (64), such that when the fiber (62) is fully withdrawn from within the enclosure (61) the frangible element (68) separates and breaks electrical continuity between the two contacts (64).

A three-dimensional printing head including a dynamic mixer comprising a mixer casing, which delimits a mixing chamber, a supply inlet configured to supply the mixing chamber with a mineral composition and a discharge outlet; and an injector for injecting a building material admixture in the mixing chamber. The injector includes a tubular injecting member being flexible and having an injection outlet, the tubular injecting member being elastically deformable between a first state in which the tubular injecting member is configured to allow a flow of the building material admixture through the tubular injecting member and towards the injection outlet, and a second state in which the tubular injecting member is configured to prevent a flow of the mineral composition from the mixing chamber and through the tubular injecting member.

An environmental-friendly mortar robot comprises a first, second, third, and fourth container module. The first container module (2) consists of a sand midway silo, a weighing system, a stirring system, and a control system; the second container module (3) consists of a cement silo, a spiral conveying machine, a material level meter and a water storage tank; the third container module (4) consists of a fly-ash silo, a spiral conveying machine, a material level meter and an air storage tank with an air compressor; the fourth container module (5) consists of a sand storage bin, an elevator, a material level meter and an additive storage box. While transporting, the first container module can be respectively detached into four functional modules which are directly put onto a transporting vehicle together with other three container modules for transportation.

A mixing tool has an elongated tubular conduit with a flattened portion at a lower end, a garden hose fitting joined to an upper end, a mixing blade having one or more horizontal wings, a tapered lower end, and an extension at an upper end inserted into the flattened portion and fastened through walls of the flattened portion, and two opposing, horizontal hand grips joined to the elongated tubular conduit at a position closer to the garden hose fitting than to the mixing blade. A user is enabled to prepare a pourable concrete mix by inserting the mixing blade into a quantity of dry ingredients, connecting a garden hose, causing water to flow through the elongated tubular conduit, around the mixing blade extension, into the dry ingredients, and turning the mixing blade by manipulating the opposing horizontal handgrips, to mix the moistened dry ingredients into the pourable concrete mix.

The system for determining a status of a valve being mounted in a liquid supply line of a concrete mixer and being actuatable via an actuator generally has: an actuator accelerometer mounted to the actuator and being adapted to measure an actuator position associated with a position of the valve; a reference accelerometer mounted to the concrete mixer and being adapted to measure a reference position fixed relative to the concrete mixer, the actuator position and the reference position being measured while the concrete mixer is fixed relative to the ground; a computing device adapted to receive the actuator and reference positions, the computing device being adapted to determine the status of the valve based on the actuator position, the reference position and calibration position data; and to generate status of the valve indicative of the determined status of the valve.

Described are compositions and methods for controlled strength development in a hydratable cementitious material, and more particularly to the use of polymerizable monomer components, which are initiated and activated by a redox pair which are mixed in controlled fashion, for enhancing non-hydration strength within the matrix of the plastic hydratable cementitious material before setting of the cementitious material begins. Exemplary applications include minimizing pressures on formwork for high fluid ready-mix applications, enhancing support and bonding properties for integrated concrete slab work and other sequential applications, or facilitating speedy 3D printing applications, among other unique possibilities.

Provided herein are methods, apparatus, and systems for delivering carbon dioxide as a mixture of solid and gaseous carbon dioxide to a destination. In particular, provided herein are kits for retrofitting a concrete operation to supply gaseous and solid carbon dioxide to concrete in the operation, where the kit includes a conduit to connect to a source of liquid carbon dioxide and to a carbon dioxide injector, the carbon dioxide injector, a second conduit to connect with the carbon dioxide injector, a third conduit to connect with the second conduit, and an intermediate processing unit.

A dry additive mixing system includes a dry additive dispenser, piping, a mix tank, and a controller. The dry additive dispenser includes a storage hopper, a weight batch hopper connected to the storage hopper, and a transfer auger configured to move dry additive from the storage hopper into the weight batch hopper. The piping is connected to the dry additive dispenser. The mix tank is connected to the piping. The controller is configured to control the transfer auger to move dry additive into the weight batch hopper until a target amount of dry additive in the weight batch hopper is reached, and selectively release the target amount of dry additive into the piping.